Transcriber’s Notes
The cover was created by the transcriber and is placed in thepublic domain.
Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.Variations in hyphenation and consistent non-standard spelling remainunchanged.
EXPERIENCE
OF A
Confederate States Prisoner,
BEING
AN EPHEMERIS
REGULARLY KEPT BY
An Officer of the Confederate States Army.
RICHMOND:
WEST & JOHNSTON, PUBLISHERS.
1862.
G. W. GARY, Printer.
PREFACE.
The gallant Morgan has said that our independence is an achieved fact. “Privationand suffering have won it.” It is true that the noble South has been deprivedof many of its wonted necessaries, not to say luxuries, by the present invasionof those disciples of Satan, commonly called “Yankees.” Paper, amongother things, is scarce in the South, and paper may be turned into excellent accountin the composition of cartridges, while metal that might be moulded intobullets is run into type. Yet newspapers and books are printed, and most ofthem eagerly read, especially any that have the most remote bearing upon the presentcontest. In these stern times of war’s realities, plain facts challenge our attentionrather than the gaudy fiction of novels. Honey from Mount Hybla, orNectar from Olympus, would fail on the palate, unless relieved by homelier viands;and it would certainly require considerable stoicism to sit down to a tale of imaginarywoes and sorrows while one great wail is going up from our sick andwounded—an incredible amount of apathy to sit leisurely down to such a book underthe shade of a tree while the nation is sending out a heartcry for reinforcements toour brave legions, in order to speedily defeat the unscrupulous enemy. This littlebook is intended as, and professes no more than a plain statement of facts, sothat others may learn what I have read, seen and heard, without undergoingthe pain of incarceration in the hands of Yankees, whose tyranny increases in proportionto the power they possess over their victims.
5
EXPERIENCE
OF A
CONFEDERATE STATES PRISONER.
May, 1862. A “heavy march” on the 6th and 7th instantresulted in a Confederate victory at McDowell, Highland county,at which place a battle was fought on the 8th. General Jacksonrouted and drove the enemy, commanded by the YankeeGenerals, Milroy and Schenck, twenty-five miles into Pendletoncounty, and captured a large amount of ammunition, commissarystores, arms, and many prisoners. Our forces afterwardscompletely routed Banks’ column at Winchester, and thoroughlydefeated Fremont and Shields at Cross Keyes and Port Republic.After the battle at Front Royal, I remained at that place uponthe recommendation of the regimental surgeon, on account ofhaving strong symptoms of the Typhoid fever, which turnedout to be the genuine disease. Dr. Brown, the resident physician,attended me; and a member of my own company, Mr.Oxford, nursed me faithfully from the 23d May, the day ourforces entered Front Royal, to the 30th May, the day that theYankees under General Shields recaptured it. The 12th Georgiaregimen